NFL Draft Rumblings Could Hint at Chargers Move

It’s hard to shake the feeling the Los Angeles Chargers will do anything but add to the offensive line in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft.

Granted, outsiders are one year removed from being at least a little shocked that the Chargers used a first-round pick on a running back, given how obvious the need on the offensive line was last year in front of Justin Herbert.

Alas, this year really feels like the year that the Chargers will stay predictable. Center got an upgrade with Tyler Biadasz, but the two guards spots are up for debate. Cole Strange might be a passable starter at one guard spot, but the other feels completely vacant.

It’s mostly about keeping Herbert healthy. But the Chargers should also hit the draft motivated to make sure Mike McDaniel can properly execute his vision for the offense, too.

Recent NFL draft rumors seem to hint that the Chargers could be trending this direction.

NFL draft rumors might hint at Chargers’ actions

Los Angeles Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz — Joe Hortiz | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Rumblings from around the NFL draft process feel Chargers-coded.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com recently penned some rumblings he’s hearing and suggested that the guard position might see more names than expected come off the board in Round 1:

In digging around..... I think:

* Keldrick Faulk goes a little earlier than he's being mocked by most.

* Mesidor might go a little later than I've been mocking him.

* Decent chance that only two safeties go in the 1st.

* A second guard slips into the first round.
— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) April 7, 2026

Generally speaking, guard is undervalued enough that it’s considered rare if more than one comes off the board in Round 1.

But the Chargers are right there at No. 22 in a sweet spot to pull another guard into the round. They could also do that after trading back, but staying in the opening round.

If Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane comes off the board as early as the top 10, the Chargers will still have options.

There’s Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon, for example. PFF wrote this about him:

“Pregnon took a major leap in 2025, earning an 86.7 PFF grade across a career-high 910 snaps after never dipping below 625 snaps in any season. His 88.1 pass-blocking grade ranked seventh among FBS guards, and he allowed just one sack, two hits and two hurries on 471 pass-blocking snaps. He flashed high-end upside with 85th-percentile marks on true pass sets and elite production in zone schemes (98th percentile zone run-blocking grade).”

Don’t sleep on Chase Bisontis out of Texas A&M, either.

PFF says:

“Bisontis posted a 62.4 PFF grade in 2025 across a career-high 795 snaps after earning marks of 55.2 in 2023 and 70.2 in 2024. He ranked in the 56th percentile in run-blocking grade on zone runs, 23rd percentile on gap runs and 59th percentile in pass-blocking grade on true pass sets.”

It would be pretty hard to complain about either guy for the Chargers as a plug-and-play starter next to Biadasz. Tack on Strange as the other starter and Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt on the edges and it’s a pretty good-looking starting five, especially with McDaniel overseeing things.

Would the value be the best? Maybe not, but stressing over a few draft spots on a “value” scale is silly compared to keeping Herbert healthy.

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